FROZEN MEAT.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 634, 11 August 1882, Page 2

FROZEN MEAT.

. To the Editor, ... Sm,—HavingjjQa-i.your leading artiole in your last' 133119, in w))ich you advocate Akaroa. , ' HKtWr'•' frein|£ by the (JanterbtiryTreezing'CJo^i^iirty,l think it, would be much 1 better 'fo* a Peninsula Freezing Company to be formed, with a J

moderate capital, and erect our works at tbe water's edge, ami then charter ships as we can fill them, and so ship our meat direct to tho home country. After a very few months it will b<j quite an easy matter to charter either steamers or sailing vessels, as nearly all the large companies sit Homo are having some of their fleet fitted out with refrigerating machinery for the frozen meat trade • and as the number of vessels of this class increase so will tho freights decrease, so that it may be ex - pected before long to boo meat carried Home for 2d per lb. If such a company wore formed here, our cheese-makers might then depend on being able to send their surplus produce to the English market, which would be the means of keeping it at a steady price in this Colony ; and as it can be carried successfully as general cargo, Id per lb should pay all charges. The supply of American cheese, like its meat, ia falling off greatly, so that there will always be a good demand, and it ie not likely the price will go below 56* per cut (at present it is quoted as high as 70s); this will mean 5d per l'> to the producer, a price which will pay very well. We have one of the finest pastoral districts—if not the finest, in the Colony. Now let us look at our resources in the shape of stock raising. I should any there are at the present time about 150,000 cheep on the Peninsula; we will suppose two-thirds of these to be breeding ewie; take the average increase at 50 per cent (* low average) thin will give us 50.000 phoep for export, or equal to 10 shipment* per annum of 5000 each. Wβ will now look at what the freight on this number amounts to. I notice the Chairman of the New Zealand Shipping Company stated at their annual meeting thai it was not a financial success to carry mutton at less than 3d per lb. 1 cannot say what space 5000 sheep would take up as compared with grain at 50s per ton ; but take the sheep at an .verage of 701 ba weight, and we should be paying a freight of £4375 on them. This should show a good balance on the right side of the ledger to any shipping company. It would require the freight on 1750 tons of grain to reach the same amount, and I am sure the meat would not take up much more than half tho space required by thia quantity of cargo, so that I think I have very good reason for saying we will have a reduction in freights before long. If we have at the present time 50,000 sheep for export, what will we have in a few years time ? It may be estimated that from 1000 to 2000 acres of bush land ie cleared and sown down to grass yearly, and we will suppose this to last for another 6or 8 years. Beeides this, a great quantity of tussock land is being ploughed and sown down in turnips, rape, etc., our fern is being gradually «xter- \ minated and English grass taking its s place, so that it may be fairly Miumed that each year we will be «hle Id increase our surplus stock of sheep by About 1000, always allowing that we receive certain dreft« of merinos from the plain* to keep tip our crousbrede. I have noLeaM Anything about our cattle, but tnere in no donbt their value will be increased a good deal when the frozen meat trade gets fairly tin ler weigh. This Bii»«jtict should commend itself to the farmers of the Peninsula. I think wo could find enough capital amongst us for (he formation of a company ; I nin miru it would be as good nn invttHtmont for the money an can be found, besides the manifold advantages which it woulil be to the whole of the Peninsula. The value of improved land would on greatly enhanced ; it would be an incentive to those wiio now hold large blocks of bu.th Imiti to have it cleared and got it under grass, thus employing labor in clearing, fencing, etc. Hoping that some one else more interested than my eel f will express an opinion on the matter.—Yours, etc., B.